Agricultural Literacy Week 2015

The signature book for 2015 is Weaving the Rainbow by George Ella Lyon and illustrated by Stephanie Anderson. In this beautiful story a young girl leads the reader through the process of raising and caring for animals, with the end result of using their well-cared for fleece as the medium for her weaved artwork. Students will see the steps of shearing, carding, spinning, dying before she can to make a beautiful tapestry.

Fiber production, whether from sheep, goats, alpacas, or rabbits, is an important agricultural industry in New York State. The farmers who produce these animals must maintain proper nutrition and management of their flocks to ensure the best quality fleeces and end-result products. Fiber animals are often used as multi-purpose animals and also raised for their meat and milk. Agriculture is not always what we eat, but also what we wear. All lesson, activities, learning extensions, and companion resources are aligned to New York State and Common Core Learning Standards.

2015 Teacher Resource Guide

• Educator Resource Guide This comprehensive guide for educators will give you access to the felted marble lesson plan, Common Core Learning Standard alignment, domain connections, vocabulary, learning extensions, and more.
• Clothes on the Grow Students will gain a broad understanding of the types and sources of different fibers, examining their origins and observing their differences. Activities in this lesson include examining clothing and clothing labels and observing how different types of fabrics burn.
• Spinning and Dyeing Wool Activity Instructions Also from Utah Agriculture in the Classroom, try these wool based hand-spinning and Kool-Aid dyeing experiential learning activities with your students. Also see the video tutorial for the hand-spinning, illustrating the ease of creating yarn with your students.
• From Fiber to Fashion Lesson Use this NYS & Common Core aligned lesson to study clothing labels, research fabric production, and evaluate consumer options for their clothing.
• Kool-Aid Dyeing Kits and More Again this year the New York News Publishers Association has developed excellent resources to accompany Agricultural Literacy Week. Please check out their farmer profiles, information sheets on animal fiber, crossword puzzles, and information about purchasing a Kool-Aid Dyeing kit for your classroom.
• In-Touch Science: Fibers and Animals A hands-on science program developed by Cornell Cooperative Extension for students in grades 2-5. This resource helps students communicate and observe how one science concept relates to both textile science and animal science. It encourages youth to be curious about their everyday encounters with fiber products and animals.
• Year In A Flock A video created by Saratoga County 4-H members explains the uses, history, and importance of the fiber industry from lambing to shearing and all of the steps in between.